- We, the experts assembled in Nara (Japan), wish to acknowledge generosity and intellectual vision of the Japanese authorities have spared us the opportunity of a meeting intended to challenge traditional notions become in conservation of cultural heritage and to initiate a debate on ways and means to expand horizons in the perspective of ensuring greater respect, diversity of cultures and heritages in the practice of conservation.
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We appreciated at its true value under discussion proposed by the World Heritage Committee. It declared its willingness to implement, when considering registration applications submitted to it, a concept of authenticity respectful of cultural and social values of all countries. -
The Nara Document on Authenticity is conceived in the spirit of the Charter of Venice, 1964. Based on this charter, it is a conceptual extension. He acknowledges the essential place occupied today, in almost all societies, cultural heritage.
- In a world beset by the forces of globalization and homogenization, and in which the search for cultural identity is sometimes pursued through aggressive nationalism and the elimination of minority cultures, the contribution first consideration of authenticity, as in the conservation of cultural heritage, to respect and highlight all facets of the collective memory of humanity.
Cultural Diversity and Heritage Diversity
- The diversity of cultures and heritage culture is a rich intellectual and spiritual richness for all humankind. It must be recognized as an essential aspect of its development. Not only protection, but also its promotion, remain fundamentals of human development.
- This diversity is expressed both in time and space for both crops for their livelihoods are linked. Where the differences between cultures are the cause of conflicts, respect for cultural diversity demands acknowledgment of the legitimacy of the values of all the parties involved.
- cultures and societies are rooted in different forms and modes of expression, both tangible and intangible, which constitute their heritage. These forms and procedures must be followed.
- It is important to recall that UNESCO considers as a fundamental principle that the cultural heritage of each is the cultural heritage of all. In this way, the responsibilities of wealth, and how to manage it belong to the charge. However, adherence to the charters and conventions on cultural heritage constitutes acceptance of obligations and ethical are the basis of these conventions and charters. Thus, the weighting of specific requirements in respect of the same heritage is highly desirable, but it does not undermine their fundamental cultural values of these communities.
- The conservation of cultural heritage in all its forms and from all periods is rooted in the values attributed to the heritage. The most accurate perception of these values depends, inter alia, the credibility of sources of information about them. Their knowledge, understanding and interpretation in relation to original and subsequent characteristics of heritage, as well as its historical significance, based on the judgments of authenticity and the work in question is as much about form as the material of the property.
- Authenticity, as well considered and affirmed in the Charter of Venice, appears as the essential qualifying factor concerning the credibility of information sources available. Its role is crucial as well in all scientific studies, in conservation and restoration in the procedure inscription on the World Heritage List or in any other cultural heritage inventories.
- All judgments about values attributed to cultural factors as credibility of information sources may differ from culture to culture, and even within the same culture. It is therefore possible that the judgments of value and authenticity that are relevant to them are based on fixed criteria. On the contrary, the respect due to all cultures requires that heritage properties must considered and judged against the criteria that characterize the cultural context to which it belongs.
- Consequently, it is of utmost importance and urgency that, in every culture, the specific nature relating to the values of its heritage, and the credibility and reliability of information sources that concern.
- Depending on the nature of the monument or site and its cultural context, the ruling on the authenticity is linked to a variety of information sources. These include form and design, materials and substance, use and function, traditions and techniques, location and setting, spirit and expression, original condition and become history. These sources are internal to the work or they external factors. The use of these sources permits elaboration of the cultural heritage in its specific dimensions of the artistic, technical, historical and social.
Suggestions for follow-up (proposed by H. Stovel)
- Respect for cultural diversity and heritage requires sustained efforts to avoid that are imposed mechanistic formulas or standardized procedures in attempting to define and evaluate the authenticity of a monument or site.
- Appreciation authenticity of respecting the cultures and heritage diversity requires approaches which encourage cultures to develop methods of "analysis and instruments that reflect their nature and their needs. Such approaches may have several aspects in common effort to:
> Ensure that the assessment of authenticity involve multidisciplinary collaboration and the appropriate utilization of all available expertise and knowledge;
> Ensure that the values are truly representative of a culture and diversity of its concerns, in particular monuments and sites;
> Document clearly the specific nature of the authenticity of monuments and sites as a guide to future treatment and monitoring;
> Refresh appraisals of the degree of authenticity in the light of changing values and circumstances.
- It is particularly important to make the effort to ensure that represents the values and recognized that the process of their determination included efforts to build, wherever possible, a multidisciplinary and community consensus their location.
- Approaches should be based on international cooperation among all those interested in the conservation of cultural heritage and contribute to this cooperation to improve global respect and understanding of the diversity of values and cultural expressions.
- The continuation of this dialogue and its extension in different regions and cultures of the world is a prerequisite to increasing the practical value of attention directed to the authenticity in the conservation of common heritage humanity.
- The increased public awareness to this aspect of heritage is absolutely necessary to arrive at concrete measures that can preserve the testimonies of the past. This means that we develop a greater understanding of the values represented in itself the cultural as well as respecting the role of monuments and sites in contemporary society.
Appendix II
Definitions:
- Conservation: includes all efforts designed to understand a work, know its history and its meaning, to ensure its backup hardware, and possibly its restoration and enhancement. (The cultural heritage includes monuments, the buildings and sites as defined in Article 1 of the World Heritage Convention).
- Information Sources: all sources, written, oral and figurative to know the nature, specificities, meaning and history of a work.
The Nara Document on Authenticity was drafted by 45 participants at the Nara Conference on Authenticity in the context of the World Heritage Convention, held in Nara, Japan from 0.1 to 6 November 1994 at the invitation of the Directorate of Cultural Affairs of the Government Japanese and Nara Prefecture. The Agency organized the Nara Conference in cooperation with UNESCO, ICCROM and ICOMOS.
This final version of the Nara Document has been prepared by the general rapporteurs of the Conference, Mr. Raymond Lemaire and Herb Stovel.
SOURCE: http://www.international.icomos.org/naradoc_fre.htm
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